This disclosure relates to a system and test device for testing wind turbine gearboxes. The disclosure also relates to a method of testing a wind turbine gearbox.
Prior approaches to testing wind turbine systems included applying forces against an input shaft to which wind turbine blades were attached to simulate in field wind turbine operation. The shaft is supported by large, slow speed bearings, which are not susceptible to failure. As a result, the majority of the forces applied to the test piece in prior art wind turbine system test procedures are absorbed by the bearings. The actual loads applied to the wind turbine gearbox, which are susceptible to failure, are not well controlled. Accordingly, current test procedures do not simulate wind turbine operating loads very well and do not provide a good indication as to how a wind turbine gearbox will perform in the field.